The medical, economic, and educational benefits of computer aided monitoring of postoperative cardiac patients are being evaluated in a prospective, randomized controlled study. The unique benefits of computer aided monitoring are being compared to control patients who are similarly, but manually managed using predictive criteria and systematized care. A program for establishing predictive criteria and for systematizing postoperative care has been developed and implemented. Criteria for defining the "smoothness" of a patient's postoperative course have been made. An independent consultant is conducting work sampling studies and compiling comparative data according to the established criteria.